Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	father_n	ghost_n	holy_a	646	5	6.3121	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89235	Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essaies: composed by the Honourable Walter Montagu Esq.; Miscellanea spiritualia. Part 1.	Montagu, Walter, 1603?-1677.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver.	1648 (1648)	Wing M2473; Thomason E519_1; ESTC R202893	256,654	397

I do not pretend to prefer the porch of Solomon before the Sanctuary I intend to keep the due distances in my measures between sacred and secular vocations each of them stand in their proper order and constitute the grace and decency of the Temple which King David did love so much For as the Father hath many mansions in his house so the Sonne hath severall offices in his sorted to those distinctions and the holy Ghost marshals and ranks all those diversities of callings in such sort as to frame an harmonious consonancy between both Houses of the Church militant and triumphant according to what the Apostle informeth us that There are diversity of gifts and differencies of administrations made by the same Spirit who divideth to every one severally as he will Wherefore my purpose is not to measure or weigh the preferablenesse of severall vocations but onely to set that of Courtiers rectified and straight in the understanding of the world to the end that not onely the consistence of this calling with piety may be evidenced against the popular traducement but that also the advantages of this vocation being rightly ballanced with the prejudices may confute courtiers themselves in this error of supposing they may discharge part of their infidelity to God upon the infelicity of their vocation in order to Piety Every state of life hath an assignment of grace commensurate to the necessities of that calling all things are disposed in number weight and measure as the Wise man informeth us so that although the temptations be more in number and weight then in more retired and in glorious courses yet the abilities and understandings of the persons are commonly stronger then in vulgar stations whereby they are better inabled to apprehend their dangerous exposures and accept them from the divine order as a Rent charge of perill laid upon the plenty of their temporall estates by which discernment they may convert even the species of their seducements into the treasure of patience and humility deriving from the perilous part of their condition conclusions against the worth of things never so glorious being but transitory since by these fruitions greater and eternall glory is so much endangered And by this reflexion even all those fiery darts which fly about the Court headed with the wilde fire of the Prince of darknesse though they have a fabulous sirname which the Poets have invented to disguise them to wit the golden shafts of Cupid quite contrary to this their due ascription when they light upon this shield of faith and expectance of eternall joy and glory are easily extinguished So that a good humble courtier marching as I have directed him in all his wayes upon the foundation of humility and poverty of spirit may keep a safe course in all the highest storyes of fortune and be no more scorched with pride or vanity then with fire-works playing in the ayre and though the Prince of that Region entertaineth all Courts much with such flashie shewes that is with the glittering vanities and resplendencies of the world yet to an humble and discerning soul they will seem no more then squibs breaking into sparkling shivers of fire which shine but for a moment and die with the ill scent of those rags whereof they are composed Upon all these considerations it seemeth to me to import all the successe of this course of life the fixing in our mind this principle that all humane life especially the active part is constituted in a state of continuall malitancy in which notion courtiers should account themselves as the chief officers of the field and so remember that the condition of being in the head of the world is like that of being in the head of troopes since it coupleth alwayes danger equall to the degrees of honour And upon this supposition they ought to be industrious in providing extraordinary armour in which point if they will be but as provident as they use to be for the defence of that life they can but defer and not truly defend or save they are in a state no way disadvantaged for that Coronation promised onely upon the condition of victory since to the greatest vanquishers are proposed the largest Crowns Therefore they who are frighted like Elisha's servant with the incompassure of tempations let them look upward with the Psalmist to the mountaines and they shall see the fiery Legions of the holy Spirit standing for their defence insomuch as they may truly say there are more with us then against us for Saint Iohn gives them this assurance He that is in you is greater then he who is in the world By these defences I hope to silence the popular cry against Courts in exeat aulâ qui vult esse Pius as if a good Christian and a good courtier were not stars of the same hemisphere and so could not be seen together For there are some natures as Seneca saith so shady as to think every thing turbulent and stormy that is but in broad day-light and we may sitly say of the eyes of such minds that they have not yet had the last touch of christianity for like the man in the Gospell who before Christ his last touch saw men but obscurely looking like trees these minds may be said to have a spirituall dimness upon them that doth not see clear nor far enough into the grace of different conditions this touch of Pauls hand when it seemes he was doing the same cure upon the Corinthians may elucidate further this case unto them those who are not Apostles nor Prophets have their ranks allotted and due provisions of graces designed to their severall stations And likewise by these advises I hope to rectifie that so different error in many minds which claime the slipperinesse of their station for a tolleration of many foule falls aledging the fashion of the times and place carfieth them down the stream pretending when the humour of the Prince or the Grandees leaneth and resteth it selfe upon them that their going into the house of Rimmon is much extenuated beleeving that those faults which custome and company impose upon them are set but low upon their account But the grace of a Christian teacheth him not to be insnared by this subtill imposition of complacencies from the worlds Ministery no more then Christ was by that nice question concerning paying of tribute to the Court for christian religion discerns clearly between what is due to Cesar and to God and so a Pious courtier may easily give to Cesar what is Cesars and to God what is Gods and that by an Anological instruction from this rule of Christ allowing all that hath Cesars Image onely on it offerable to Cesar that is all civill complacencies in things unprohibited by God as the complying with all the innocent fashions of the court and reserving all that hath Gods Image on it for God that is making an entire reference of all actions which concerne the soul to